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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Julianne Hough, "Is That So Wrong"

She's back! Julianne Hough's 2008 debut met with marginal success, yielding the minor Top 20 hit "That Song In My Head," and earning her a fan-voted ACM Award for Top New Artist. But she never quite gained a firm hold on radio, as she and her label had hoped. Now she's taking another shot at radio success with the first single from her upcoming second album.

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"Is That So Wrong" is an emotional ballad that was influenced by Julianne's recent breakup with fellow country star Chuck Wicks. The song's narrator is a woman who has just gone through a difficult breakup, and is eager to pursue a new relationship. The lyrics are decent, but not outstanding.

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Since Julianne's debut album was criticized for having "dated" production, her new producer Dann Huff gives her new single a more modernized pop-country sound. The song is backed by electric guitar and percussion, with the occasional twang of a steel guitar. If you were a fan of the 90s-style country sound of her first album, as I was, you might find her new sound rather difficult to digest. But believe me - it grows on you.

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One listen to this song is enough to tell you that Julianne's pipes are still in fine repair. She delivers the song's verses in a deeply emotional aching and pleading tone, which is easily the single's most positive quality. With a solid single such as this, Julianne Hough just might be able to waltz her way into the Country Top 10.